As I’ve started “officially” homeschooling this year, I’ve become acutely aware of the many pros and many cons of this educational style. I think we’ve all seen homeschooling gone wrong, but in an effort to look at the positive side, my next couple of posts on the blog will be focusing on the pros of homeschooling. In all fairness, at the end I’ll share what I’ve found to be the cons.
Okay, today’s pro will be quick:
I feel like I might be learning more than my kids this year.Yes, I realize that I’m teaching kindergarten and first grade, but I have had many moments of discovery this year during our units on magnets, forces, George Washington, and deciduous trees. Many nights Colby will find me re-reading the science books again before I go to bed and looking up more information on Wikipedia.
Before today, I had never taken any time to actually find out who this guy St. Patrick was. Today we read an article about this British-born man who was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave and his life as a missionary in Ireland. WHO KNEW? Today, on what is thought of to be the anniversary of this Saint’s death, we prayed for missionaries we know around the world and talked about people we could share the hope of Christ with. We hunted for three leafed clovers and discussed how St. Patrick used them as an illustration to teach the doctrine of the Trinity. All in all, it was a pretty rich lesson found in the most unexpected place for me. I had never been taught any of that! Most kids will come home from school today with green pencil erasers or clover-shaped art projects, but have no clue the significance behind the man we celebrate today. Being able to have a say in what my kids spend their day studying is definitely another advantage, but I would say that a HUGE pro of homeschooling is being able to RELIVE YOUR OWN EDUCATION and relearn many of the things you missed or didn’t fully grasp as a child.
Christ Beside Me
Christ Before Me
Christ Behind Me
Christ Within Me
Christ Beneath Me
Christ Above Me
-Saint Patrick
